Coaching depth improving in ACC

With everyone gearing up for football season, the ACC never seems to get the amount of publicity afforded the nation’s other power conferences. It doesn’t help that the mighty Southeastern Conference — winner of the last seven national titles, as SEC commissioner Mike Slive never misses an opportunity to point out — is right next door.

But there are some signs of life in the ACC, which hasn’t lived up to the hype created by its first big round of expansion back in 2003. Things should only improve next year, when Louisville replaces Big Ten-bound Maryland.

Since I ranked the SEC’s head coaches last week, it’s only fair to give its (mostly) Southern counterpart the same treatment today. The ACC coaches gathered in Greensboro, N.C., for media days last week, and was the deepest lineup in some time.

• 1. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech

No one in the ACC has a resume like Beamer: Four conference titles and eight seasons with double-digit victories, not to mention a BCS title game appearance when the Hokies were in the Big East. Though Beamer stumbled last fall with a 7-6 record, the coaches below him have some work to do if they’re going to catch him. Virginia Tech usually doesn’t play pretty football, but it’s been effective in the ACC.

• 2. Jimbo Fisher, Florida State

Fisher doesn’t seem to get enough credit for his first three years as the legendary Bobby Bowden’s replacement. The former offensive coordinator has lifted the Seminoles out of the doldrums of Bowden’s last few seasons, guiding them to their first conference title since 2005 a year ago. They aren’t national contenders yet, but they’re on the right track.

• 3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson

The Tigers are another team trending upward and inserting themselves into the national conversation. After a 6-7 season in 2010, Swinney brought in Tulsa offensive coordinator Chad Morris, whose high-speed system took Clemson to a conference title. Off an 11-win season, they are the league favorites and could play for much more if Brent Venables gets the defense in order.

• 4. Al Golden, Miami

Golden is only 13-11 in two seasons at Miami, but consider the circumstances. He arrived with NCAA issues hanging over the program and the Hurricanes have forfeited two bowl appearances as the school attempts to lessen potential sanctions. Despite all that, Golden has kept his team motivated and upgraded the talent on a decimated roster.

• 5. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech

Johnson is one of the best offensive minds in football and the Yellow Jackets’ triple option is always dangerous. But subpar recruiting and porous defenses have kept him from reaching the heights he did at Navy and Georgia Southern. The Jackets have not been the same since their 2009 conference title, after which they lost a core of NFL-caliber players they have struggled to replace.

• 6. Jim Grobe, Wake Forest

The veteran coach did something that seemed impossible in 2006, leading tiny Wake Forest to an ACC championship. At 73-75 through 12 seasons, he is the Demon Deacons’ most successful coach since the 1940s. Wake hasn’t had a winning season since 2008, but Grobe’s body of work is mighty impressive.

• 7. David Cutcliffe, Duke

Cutcliffe is one of the most underrated coaches in the game. He was fired prematurely at Ole Miss, a year after tying for the 2003 SEC West title. His Duke tenure is better than a 21-40 record might indicate. The Blue Devils reached a bowl last year for the first time since 1994 and they’re having their best run since a guy named Steve Spurrier was there. It’s really, really tough to win in Durham.

• 8. Larry Fedora, North Carolina

Fedora took over a team last year that knew it wasn’t eligible for the postseason because of violations under former coach Butch Davis. All he did was coach them to an 8-4 record and a tie for the Coastal Division title. His up-tempo offense succeeded at Oklahoma State and Southern Miss; there’s no reason to believe it won’t keep the Tar Heels in the mix for years to come.

• 9. Steve Addazio, Boston College

Addazio seems to be a great fit for the Eagles, a good recruiter with ties to the Northeast. His resume is solid, if not spectacular, which is fine for BC after a rough couple of seasons. As head coach at Temple, Addazio’s teams were tough and successful. He coached up some championship-level offensive lines when he was a Florida assistant.

• 10. Mike London, Virginia

London’s Cavaliers seemed to be on the fast track when they went 8-5 two seasons ago. But after last year’s regression, he’s a coach who has gone 4-8 in two of his three years in the ACC. As well as London has recruited, his program needs to show some significant progress soon.

• 11. Dave Doeren, N.C. State

Fresh off a BCS appearance at Northern Illinois, Doeren tries to breathe some life into a program that became stagnant under Tom O’Brien. He had two successful years at NIU, but that was an established program in the Mid-American Conference. Let’s see how he does building one of his own.

• 12. Paul Chryst, Pittsburgh

Like many people, I wondered about the former Wisconsin offensive coordinator last year after his tenure started with one-sided losses to Youngstown State and Cincinnati. He righted the ship, however, and took the Panthers to a bowl in their Big East finale. Chryst should make Pitt competitive in its new league in short order.

• 13. Randy Edsall, Maryland

Edsall had a decent track record when he arrived from Connecticut, but his Maryland tenure has been disastrous. The Terrapins are a combined 6-18 in two seasons marred by mass transfers and dwindling fan interest. Maybe it’s a bad fit, or the school and coach were victims of bad timing, but it’s been bleak so far.

• 14. Scott Shafer, Syracuse

Shafer is something of a question mark as he leads the Orange from the Big East into the ACC. He was promoted from within after Doug Marrone jumped to the NFL, receiving his first head coaching job. His defenses have been mostly successful, but that brutal 2008 season at Michigan does stand out.

Comments are welcome, so long as they are civil. A Facebook account is required. Abuse may result in the commenter being permanently blocked. Personal attacks are strictly prohibited. We reserve the right to remove any comments at any time.